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Local children get in touch with nature

Published: Monday, January 11, 2010 at 6:04 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, January 11, 2010 at 6:04 p.m.

THIBODAUX — Fifteen local children have been spending their days digging in the dirt and planting indigenous herbs and flowers at Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve, as part of a national project aimed at dragging children from the computer screen to the outdoors.

Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve is one of 26 parks each year to receive up to $20,000 in grant money from the National Park Foundation to take part in First Bloom, a project geared at getting children more involved with nature.

The program, which began in September 08 and continues today, has seen children who participate in Circle of Helping Other People Excel, a non-profit organization focused community work, attend meetings at Lafitte to learn about the various plant life in Louisiana, before having them plant their own in two garden areas at the park.

“Those kids really showed up and worked,” Rathle wrote on her First Bloom blog, www.first-bloom.org. “What a bunch of troopers! No I’m hot, I’m tired, I’m bored. Just work, work, work, and with a smile.”

<p>THIBODAUX — Fifteen local children have been spending their days digging in the dirt and planting indigenous herbs and flowers at Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve, as part of a national project aimed at dragging children from the computer screen to the outdoors.</p><p>Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve is one of 26 parks each year to receive up to $20,000 in grant money from the National Park Foundation to take part in First Bloom, a project geared at getting children more involved with nature. </p><p>Jean Lafitte received around $16,000 for the project.</p><p>“It's been absolutely great,” said Angela Rathle, supervisory park ranger at Lafitte. “I'm loving the kids and they're loving the program.”</p><p>The program, which began in September 08 and continues today, has seen children who participate in Circle of Helping Other People Excel, a non-profit organization focused community work, attend meetings at Lafitte to learn about the various plant life in Louisiana, before having them plant their own in two garden areas at the park.</p><p>“Those kids really showed up and worked,” Rathle wrote on her First Bloom blog, www.first-bloom.org. “What a bunch of troopers! No I'm hot, I'm tired, I'm bored. Just work, work, work, and with a smile.”</p>